The Federal Government has withdrawn corruption charges filed against Senator Danjuma Goje.
Mr Goje is accused of stealing N5bn between September and November 2010 when he held sway as governor of Gombe State.
The Senator was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who later handed over the case to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) after the lawmaker traded his aspiration of 9th Senate Presidency for the quash of his corruption trial.
The withdrawal was made at a Federal High Court sitting in Jos, the Plateau State capital on Thursday.
“My Lord, we have an application having taken over the case and reviewed the 21 count charges of no submission and by the ruling of this court quashed 19 leaving only two count charges in which they are to enter defence,” Daily Trust quoted Pius Akutah, an official from the office of the AGF to have told Justice Babatunde Quadri, who presided over the case.
“As it is, the Federal Ministry of Justice wishes to withdraw those two charges against the accused persons This action is in line with the power vested on the AGF by virtue of section 128 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 particularly sub section 1 of that section (128).
“It’s in accordance with the power vested on the AGF by the constitution that we wish to withdraw the charges before your Lordship. This is our humble application and urge your Lordship to grant our application,” Mr Akutah added.
The judge strikes out the case after Adeniyi Akintola who represents the lawmaker did not opposition the application. He pursuant to Section 174(1) particularly sub-section (b) and coupled with Section 108 (2) of 2015, “the application by the AGF to withdraw the charges is hereby granted.”
“The accused person is hereby discharged,” the judge ruled.
